EDITOR’S MESSAGE FULFILLING OUR PURPOSE IN 2023

Well it’s (finally) 2023, and as we entered the new year, I decided to follow the advice of this great meme I saw:

“Nobody claim 2023 as ‘your year.’ We’re all going to walk in real slow. Be good. Be quiet. Be cautious and respectful. Don’t touch anything.”

So I’m moving gently into ’23, but at the same time…Shew, I’m glad 2022 is in the rearview. I don’t know about y’all, but last year seriously kicked my behind. And even as it was coming to a close, it took a final swing when it stole industry advocate and legend, John Mosley.

The tribute to him on page 22 is the third memorial article I’ve written in the past year, but this one hits differently – John wasn’t just someone I learned about through others’ eyes; John was a friend to me, as he was to many of you. I first “met” John in January 2014 when I reached out to interview him about his involvement with the Mississippi Collision Repair Association, and as I chased him down (the man was always busy!) to secure the interview, it didn’t take him long to tease me: “You sure are hard to deal with. Just kidding. I will call you by Wednesday evening, and we will get it done.”

Over the years, John granted me a number of interviews on various subjects, and I always found him to be a passionate wealth of knowledge. He loved the auto body world and collision repairers; he fought for shops from coast to coast, and the industry is better

WMABA OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Steven Krieps steve@gregclineauto.com 304-755-1146

VICE PRESIDENT Rodney Bolton boltonconsulting61@gmail.com 443-386-0086

TREASURER Kris Burton kris@rosslynautobody.com 703-820-1800

SECRETARY Phil Rice phil@ricewoods.com 540-846-6617

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Torchy Chandler Torchy Chandler torchy.chandler@gmail.com 410-309-2242

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Don Beaver (donbeaver3551@gmail.com) 443-235-6668

Barry Dorn (bdorn@dornsbodyandpaint.com) 804-746-3928

Administration

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jordan Hendler (jordanhendler@wmaba.com) 804-789-9649

WMABA CORPORATE OFFICE

P.O. Box 3157 • Mechanicsville, VA 23116

Chasidy Rae Sisk 302.593.7002 chasidy@grecopublishing.com

Bill Hawkins (hawkinswilliamjr@gmail.com) 510-915-2283

John Shoemaker (john.a.shoemaker@basf.com) 248-763-4375 because of him. We could all learn something from John…because even though John was quiet and gentle, that never stopped him from being a fighter filled with purpose.

So, we can move gently into 2023, but let’s also move with purpose. Decide what matters most to you and cling to it, defend it, fight for it with everything in you. Do the right thing for your customers and your employees, and stand your ground when insurers tell you “we don’t pay for that.” It’s not their business, and they aren’t the ones who will deal with the repercussions of an unsafe repair. Recognize that this industry is stronger when everyone comes together.

Organizations like WMABA are led by people who, like John, just want to make a difference, not just for themselves but for every shop. But they can’t do it alone. They need everyone to join them and amplify that voice crying in the wilderness. It can be as easy as taking five minutes to fill out the current Labor Rate survey (find out how on page 14) or maybe it’s a matter of sharing your thoughts on important matters in a future Hammer & Dolly feature.

I’d love to get to know more of our readers, so feel free to reach out to me with your ideas, questions and thoughts to help make this the best magazine it can be. And if I reach out to you to request an interview, I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove I’m not hard to deal with. I promise to be gentle! H&D

STAFF

PUBLISHER Thomas Greco thomas@grecopublishing.com

SALES DIRECTOR Alicia Figurelli alicia@grecopublishing.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bill Moore | (201) 209-1989 bill@grecopublishing.com

PUBLISHED BY TGP, Inc. 244 Chestnut St., Suite 202 Nutley, NJ 07110 973-667-6922 FAX 973-235-1963

EDITORIAL/CREATIVE

Alana Quartuccio Bonillo COORDINATOR alana@grecopublishing.com

MANAGING EDITOR Chasidy Rae Sisk chasidy@grecopublishing.com

OFFICE MANAGER Donna Greco donna@grecopublishing.com

PRODUCTION Joe Greco COORDINATOR joe@grecopublishing.com

Reproduction of any portions of this publication is specifically prohibited without written permission from the publisher. The opinions and ideas appearing in this magazine are not necessarily representations of TGP Inc. or of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA). Copyright © 2023 Thomas Greco Publishing, Inc. Stock Images courtesy of istockphoto.com.

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